Okanagan British Columbia Travel

Getting To The Okanagan Valley

Okanagan British Columbia travel is simple and basically straight forward. Once you're in the Okanagan Valley, getting around is easy.

Air Travel

If you are flying to the Okanagan Valley, you will most likely be arriving at the Kelowna International Airport.

Kelowna airport is located about 20 minutes from the city center.

Though the airport is expanding and growing, it's still small enough that you can get in and be out on your way to enjoying your time here much more quickly than large city airports - it's one terminal :)

WestJet and Air Canada are the two major airlines that fly into the Okanagan, as well as Air Canada Jazz (a subsidiary of Air Canada).

There are daily flights to Kelowna from various major Canadian cities, including Vancouver, Victoria, Calgary, Edmonton, and Toronto, as well as some U.S. cities, and you can usually find pretty good deals on flights if you search around a bit.

If you need transportation from the airport to wherever you are going, you'll find a variety of local taxi services and limousine services, bus charters, local ski shuttles and golf shuttles, as well as car rentals and Kelowna Regional transit system available to help you out! If you're renting a car, you'll want to have that booked in advance, as there are limited options for car rental directly from airport kiosks, and you'll likely end up paying more.

Alternatively, if you're visiting the South Okanagan, you can fly directly into the Penticton airport from Vancouver, if you're connecting or visiting from there.

Getting Here By Land

British Columbia travel routes leading to the Okanagan from any direction is extremely beautiful - hope you don't get sidetracked ; )

The Okanagan is surrounded by British Columbia coastal mountains to the west, and the Monashee and Rocky Mountains to the east.

From the west coast BC you can get here through a number of different BC highways including the Trans Canada Highway (Hwy 1), BC highways 3 (Hope-Princeton) through E.C. Manning Provincial Park, BC highway 5 - the Coquihalla Highway, and intersecting highway 97C.

Highway 97 intersects with U.S. Route 97, which begins in northern California. Once you're in BC, the highway runs straight north and south from the US-Canada border at Osoyoos BC all the way to the Yukon-British Columbia border at Watson Lake, Yukon.

Although most people drive, you can also travel by Greyhound Bus to any city or town in the interior British Columbia.

Scenic Okanagan BC Highways

If you're looking for some scenic interior British Columbia travel routes or even some day trips, you can dart off of Okanagan Highway 97 into some gorgeous rural areas, that all provide access to the Okanagan Valley. Several routes will take you into outlying areas, where you will find Okanagan wineries, do some sightseeing and stop to enjoy a leisurely lunch.

A day trip around the valley during the fall season when the air is crisp and fresh, the scenery is rich and colorful, and traffic isn't nearly as busy as the summer months is a perfect way to enjoy Okanagan British Columbia travel.

Many people travel these routes every year, and some are especially popular for those who travel by motorcycle. There are a number of places to stop along each route. Here are common routes people travel to experience the most enjoyment of out of their Okanagan Canada vacation.

Highway 33 - Kelowna to Rock Creek

Highway 97C - Peachland to Merritt

Highway 97 - Vernon to Kamloops

Highway 5A - Princeton to Merritt & Kamloops

Highway 3 - Osoyoos to Princeton

Highway 1 - Kamloops to Sicamous

Related Okanagan British Columbia Travel Information

Airline Travel

Kelowna Airport
Information On Flights To Kelowna
Kelowna Airport Transportation
Tips For Finding Cheap Canadian Air Travel
Penticton Airport Information

Travel To Canada

Canadian Visit Visa information
Nexus Card information for U.S. travelers
Passport for Canada
Where to cross the US-Canada border
Driving Routes From The US

Travel BC Okanagan

Okanagan BC Roads information
Driving routes from within Canada

Whatever mode of transportation you choose for your Okanagan British Columbia travel plans, it is sure to be a wonderful and memorable experience. So take your time getting here, enjoy all that beautiful interior British Columbia has to offer, and don't forget to bring your camera along! You don't want to go home without plenty of pictures to remind you to come back :-)

We're always adding new pages. Please do visit often for Okanagan British Columbia travel and tourism information, including Okanagan accommodation guide, great attractions, guide to the Okanagan wineries and Okanagan BC golf vacations, all the fun Okanagan festivals, fairs and events, ideas for winter vacations, summer vacation ideas, shopping, places to eat, and much much more!